Ribbon cutting for new free county medical clinic in Indio

New clinic will offer free medical and dental care for uninsured adults

POSTED: 06:21 AM PST Feb 04, 2013 UPDATED: 08:03 PM PST Feb 03, 2013

INDIO, Calif. -

A ribbon-cutting ceremony will be held Monday to formally mark the opening of a free county medical clinic in Indio staffed by volunteers.

Operated by the Coachella Valley Volunteers in Medicine, the clinic at 82-915 Avenue 48 will offer free dental and medical services to uninsured adults ineligible for county, state or federal government programs.

An estimated 60,000 people in the Coachella Valley qualify for services at the clinic, and more than 6,000 visits are expected this year, according to county Supervisor John Benoit's office.

The 6,133-square-foot clinic was built with $2.8 million in county redevelopment funds and is twice the size of the temporary venue it replaces at 81-880 Dr. Carreon Blvd.

Riverside County entered in a 20-year lease with Volunteers in Medicine to operate the facility, according to Benoit's office. The clinic's volunteers include both retirees and people still working in medicine and administration.

"This building represents an important new chapter in the Coachella Valley Volunteers in Medicine story," said Volunteers in Medicine Executive Director Bruce Yeager . "The founders, staff, volunteers and patients are sincerely grateful to the county for providing us with this remarkable facility. It will serve this community well."

Supporters of the clinic include JFK Memorial Hospital, Eisenhower Medical Center, Desert Regional Medical Center, the Desert Healthcare District, the city of Indio, Indio Sunrise Rotary and Kaiser Permanente. Donations can be made at www.cvvim.org.

This morning's ribbon cutting is set for 11 a.m. Attendees will be served refreshments and given a tour. Reservations can be made at edaeventsrivcoeda.org or (951) 955-0757.

To volunteer or make an appointment, call (760) 342-4414.

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